Wales is following Scotland, and moving towards a call for an elected assembly with devolved powers, as advocated by the Labour Party.
Labour has committed to the creation of a Welsh assembly, and party leader Tony Blair set out proposals for devolution, setting off a constitutional battle with the Tories.
Conservatives oppose any form of devolution, and want to maintain a strong Welsh Office with a cabinet minister, believing that would produce the best results for Wales.
Prime Minister John Major and the Tories are against the establishment of a Welsh parliament, which has eroded the usual support conservative legislators had received in Wales.
Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, stepped up its campaign for equal rights to Welsh self-determination, demanding equal constitutional treatment with Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
The British government is pressing ahead with plans to reform the structure of local government in Wales.
It will establish an elected Welsh assembly, with law-making and financial powers, to replace the current two-tier system of county and district councils with single-purpose, unitary authorities.
The government intends to set up 21 new authorities to replace the eight counties and 37 districts in Wales.
Shadow elections to the new unitary authorities will be held as early as next year.
Implementation of the local government reform will take place in April 1995.
